Wastebasket baler



Oct. 18; 1949. R. s. THOMPSON WASTEBASKET BALER Filed Feb. 22, 1945Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WASTEBASKET BALER RoyS. Thompson, Westlake, Ohio Application February 22, 1945, Serial No.579,299

7 Claims. (01. 100-19) The purpose of my invention has been to providesimple and convenient means for use in homes, ofiices, or the like, forthe purpose of temporarily storing and finally baling newspapers.However, my invention may be availed of for the baling of miscellaneousfiat sheets of paper or any similar material such as cloth sheets orarticles in sheet form and made from plastic or equivalent substances.

A further object of my invention has been to utilize means of thecharacter above referred to, in the form of a wastebasket or ordinarycontainer, and which container is equipped with devices for engagingtwine or string members held in position on the container so as toreceive therebetween the newspapers or like articles which are to betied or bound up, so that when the container or basket is full and readyfor the final baling operation, the said string or twine members may bereadily tied in a convenient manner so as to embrace the package ofpapers to be :baled and thereafter tied, so as to secure the said papersor equivalent articles in a bundle convenient for handling purposes.

Still another object of my invention has been to produce a convenientbaling basket or container which is largely of conventional form,preferably rectangular, and which is constructed with means forfacilitating the baling operation of papers received or stored therein,along the lines above referred to.

Still another object of my invention has been to design the balingbasket or container of the invention hereinafter described, so as to beof such simplified construction that it may be manufactured atrelatively low coat, practically the same in fact as any ordinaryrectangular metal container or wastebasket, or one of suitable ma.-terial as useful as metal.

A full understanding of my invention may be had upon reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a baling container or basket embodyingmy invention.

Figure 2 is an end View of the same.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken about on the line 4-4 ofFigure 1, showing more clearly the form of the detent or twine engagingmember.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken about on the line 55 ofFigure 1, showing more clearly the struck-out form of the anchoring lugfor the ends of the twine or string members.

Specifically describing a preferred form of my invention in conjunctionwith the drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similarparts throughout, I refer first to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

It will be seen from the above figures of the drawings that my balingcontainer or basket comprises a body of generally rectangular formcomposed of the sides I, the ends 2, and the bottom 3. It is immaterialto my invention just how these parts of the body are constructed toassemble the same. The body, in fact, may be made in any conventional orknown manner, as for instance by forming the sides with the bottom in anintegral manner, and attaching thereto the ends 2.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, I note that the end 2 of thecontainer or receptacle as constructed is formed with a struck-outprojection of somewhat triangular form constituting an anchor lug 4. Itis contemplated that the end of a string member may be interlocked withthis Y anchor lug 4 by engagement as shown in Figure 2.

As will be seen later, the anchor lug 4 will have an additional functionof being a cutting member for the twine or string member interengagedtherewith under some conditions. The lug 4 is struck outwardly from theplane of the end 2 as shown in Figure 2, and near to said lug 4 but alittle closer to the receptacle bottom is located a detent or twineengaging member 5. The member 5 is of somewhat peculiar construction. Itis, generally speaking, of somewhat rectangular form, and is provided inthe end 2 of the a receptacle by cutting from the latter a clearancespace designated 6 which is somewhat of C-form. Specifically speaking,the detent or twine engaging member 5 is peculiarly formed in that thecentral portion thereof between the upper and lower edges is pressedinwardly to provide a concave cross section, as seen best in Figure 4.Also, the upper edges of the said lug or member 5 are curved slightly ina direction opposite to the concave curve or contour of the centralportion of the lug. The purpose of this construction will appear morefully hereinafter.

Now then, referring further to the general construction of my balingcontainer, I note that on each end of the container there is providedone of the anchor lugs 4 and one of the detent or twine engaging lugs 5.Again, on each side of the container I provide two sets of the lugs ormembers 4 and 5, each set substantially identical with that which hasbeen described in conjunction with the showing of Figure 2. As seen inFigure 1, each pair of the lugs or members 4 and on the side Iillustrated, is located adjacent to the end 2 of the container orreceptacle adja cent to which said pair of members is disposed.

By reason of the provision of the anchoring and detent members 4 and 5which I have described as carried by the end and sides of the containeror receptacle, I am enabled to secure in place --upon the sides and endsof the container three' twine or st'ring members 1, sd-disposed on andin the receptacle as to be located beneath and at the sides of a pile ofpapers assembled in the receptacle, such as newspapers, fiat sheets, orthe like, and when the papers fill the receptacle the several string ortwine members may be readily tied for bundling the papers securelytogether.

I now describe how the twine members are applied to the receptaclepreliminary to the filling of the same with the papers above referredto.

As s'eenb'est inFiguresZ'and 3, I take 'a piece "of twine "and engageone end thereof, the free "end 'from aball"preferably, with theanchorlug"4" onone end "201? the receptacle. I then train the twine upwardly overthe top edge ofsaid *e'nd z anti-downwardly along the inner side of said'"en d 2 untilI interengage' the twine intermediate "its ends "with ithe detentmember 5 on the said-end "2 just referred to. Thetwinerriember "'l"bein'g"described is engaged with the member 5 by-'simply-carryirig'thetwine into'theclear- "an'ee "space-fi-of themember *5 and looping it -'"arouri'd-the-latterat itsouter side. Fromthence the twine is carried along the-bottom of the r'e'ceptacIe tQtI-ie opposite 'end"2-of the latter, looped around the detent member 5atsa-id opposite end in the-same manner as previously de- -se"ribed,-and th'en'carri'ed up the innerside or I face i of the op'posite end 2of the container over the top-'edge a nddown i'r'ito engagement with thea nch'or l'ug i 'slightlyprotruding from the outer ace- 0f sai'doppositeend l -whenin engagentent with thearichor lug l last mentioned,by a-slight jerk of the' tw ine, the latter may-be cut owing toitsinterengagement with the lower e'dge of the iast mentione'd anchormemberor lug '4.

Thus we have the =twine -memb'er, just described, i int-erengaged withthe outer :side of one "end of the receptacle or a container,inter-engaged w'ith the inner side of sa-id end nea1- the bottom *3,'exte nd-i-ng longitudinally across al0n -the=- bot tom to the oppositeend, and: interengaged "with the latter near its bottom -portion 1 on 1its inner face, and carried on up over the 1 upper'edgeiof said opposite-en'dfi, down into t'he final engagement with the anchor lug 4 carriedby the last mention-ed end 2.

Now I contemplate 1 using: .in the construction -ofthe baling containerjust described, two other twine members which are interengaged'with an---ohor lugs at one end, which anchor lugs are on one side! ofthe-receptacle. 'Then I carry th'ese twine members over the-said side ofthe recep- ---tacle at its upper edge and cause the twine members to beengaged in the-=manner I haves previously described with regardtothe-ends :2 of the receptaclebut in'this instance with the sides I.

-By the-abovearrangement I: have locate'd the receptacle three--separate twine "or string members ready for tyin -operation. Thestring or twine members designated 7 inthe drawings 'are sodisposed-'that they will not interfere-in any -way--with the emplacementin' the container 4 container has been filled with such material, it isobvious that the person baling the material can tie same very quickly bymerely disengaging the ends of the twine members from the lugs 4, andcorrespondingly disengaging the intermediate portions of the twinemembers from the detent lugs 5 by merely moving the end of a fingerparallel with the bottom 3 of the receptacle to accomplish the latteraction. In this way the "Various twine members are freed from theirengagement with the sides and ends of the receptacle, and thereupon theend portions of the string members may be tied over the top of theburidle df papers accumulated in the receptacle, and the bali ng of thepapers or similar material into"burfdleform is completed in this manner.

:Byform-irrg-the ourved upper and lower portions of the detent members 5in the manner illustfated, the twine or string members I will not 00 becut or weakened by the engagement of the -=sam'e' with -the members 5 inthe.preliminary auiustmenuer application of the twine members to thesides -a'nd endsof the "receptacle.

-I-t will be obvious Ithat :according to :the :size

of the-receptaclepthenumberpfithe lugs 4. anddetentmem-bers 5- maybeincrea'sed in ther'manufact'ure of the containersiofimy invention, :ordeer-eased. In other wordsfiforcertain .sizesuofsreceptacles, it may bedesirable t'o have three'sor :founsets" of these m'embers lnan'd -i on:each .-side of "the receptacleuzor one set alone. :LikeWise, .it-may=-be.desirable,aundensome conditions -to have -two= sets ofthe-members 4 "and '5 on eachaend of the-receptacle "ratherthan one-asillustrated-in Figure 2. Generallylspeaking,however, for the particularpurpose-of.- bundling folded newspapers, the construction which .isillustrated in 1 my drawings "will be ample I for :all purposes ofobtainingexpeditious baling 0f the; paper.

---Just as a conv-enient means for-holding=a ball -of twine an end ofthe container may .be' provided witha tw-ineorcord ball--box r-8 toreceive -a ball of twine designated S.

Having thus described my invention, .--what I -claim as new -and desireto :"secure \by Letters Patent of-theUnitedStates is:

1.- In-baling'onpackagingapparatus, in combi- -nation, A a -containercomprising a bottom, sides, and ends-string memberengaging lugs onand at--the -outside-of the sides Hand ends, and string member engagingmembers at-ther innerfaces: of the: sides and ends-said lugs and membersbeing I integral withthesidesand ends.

2. Inbaling orfpackagin-g' apparatus, in combination,a-containercomprising a-bottom, sides, and ends, string member engaginglugs on and-lat the foutside of the-sides -.and ends, and string memberengaging membersat-the inner faces of the sides and ends,said-lugsandlmembersflbeing struck out from-the material of-thesides andends and theretorefli ntegralr portions -of the :sideswand ends. 3.Apparatusas claimedcin-claim l,.-in-',vhich the lugs are formedvwithlstringsevering. edges.

4. 'In' bailing orspacka'ging apparatus in combination, a'containercomprising a bottom, sides, and ends, instrumefitalities on and outsidethe sides and ends toengage'the'endsof string-membersf-a'ndinstrumentalities at the inside of the sides and ends todetachably'engage string members intermediate their ends, theoutsideinstrumentalities 6f "the ends and sides "being lugs todetachablwengage the "ends of string members e-a-nd dispos'ed near thebottom, *and the inside instrumentai'ities" being located neaNt-hebottom and being lugs detachably engaging intermediate portions ofstring members.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the last mentioned insidelugs are formed convex in a direction inwardly from the inner faces ofthe sides and ends, to facilitate disengagement of the intermediateportions of string members therefrom.

6. In baling apparatus, in combination, a container comprising a bottomand sides, string anchoring engaging members at the outside of the saidsides to anchor ends of a tying string, string engaging detent memberson the sides engageable by a portion of the string contacting the insideof the sides and located near the bottom of the container, the saidsides having clearance portions therethrough enabling string to bepushed off the detent members from the exterior of the sides whena massto be packaged in the container is to be tied on freeing string from theanchoring 20 members.

7. Baling apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in

6 which the detent members are parallel generally with the containerbottom.

ROY S. THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 363,495 Wilson May 24, 1887811,381 Comstock Jan. 30, 1906 907,257 Loe Dec. 22, 1908 921,453 PilonMay 11, 1909 1,198,954 Reinelt Sept. 19, 1916 1,760,292 Troth May 27,1930 2,321,802 Deubener June 15, 1943 2,364,518 Clouser Dec. 5, 1944FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 4,011 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1891

